Carl Rollyson Carl Rollyson

Reading Biography

Reading Biography

A blog for biographers and their readers

I've just published READING BIOGRAPHY, a collection of my columns on biography for The New York Sun. The book is available from www.iuniverse.com, bn.com, and amazon.com. I'm interested in hearing from readers and writers of biography. What do you like about the genre? What you don't like? What problems or pleasures do you have in reading or writing biographies.
8,163 views 115 replies
Reply #101 Top
I am worried about reading the books for the analytical research paper, because I think it will take too long for me to read them.
Do I need to wholly understand every detail of the reference books?
Reply #102 Top
I am having difficulty putting together several themes into one essay. I wonder how I can affectively put these ideas into correct order so that they make good sense.
Reply #103 Top
Before writing biographical essay on Marie Curie I've read several short biographies. What I realized was that authors discribe her life and personality differently. So, the reader doesn't have a chance to comprehend Marie in a free from someone's prejudice way, because biograther instinctively shows his(her) favorism in this or that aspect of Marie's life. In fact, the truth is hiden under biograther's illusion.
Reply #104 Top
Last time when I wrote biographical essay, I did not include that many opinions. What I wrote was actually a biographyical summary. I now know what the difference between the two is.
Reply #105 Top
Getting started with the Analytical Research paper seems a bit confusing. How do you get stated? After choosing your research question how and where do you begin presenting the info.? What should the first paragraph contain? Are you still trying to be narative or are you focusing strictly on just presenting the information you've found out?
Reply #106 Top
It seems not easy to define a question for analytical research paper. Here is one of my suggestions. Was it truthful, unreal intelect or focused and hardworking personality that led to professional achievements?
Reply #108 Top
At first, I wanted to find out what made Marie want to become a scientist. Then I realized that this question would not deal with her whole life completely, so I changed my focus to how she achieved such a big fame.
Reply #109 Top
My research question will be directed at the medical implications of Maries working environment and the irony of Marie losing her life as a result of discovering a way to save others. I shall be looking at the effects of radiation on her health and how they contributed to her death.
I am also interested in how she could have prevented having such devastating effects and perhaps prolonged her life.
Reply #110 Top
Having decided to write about Marie Curie's motherhood I could think only of one question: What kind of mother Marie was? But after some research reading I found myself asking more questions: Was it some kind of special circumstances that influenced her attitude? Were there personal characteristics or social factors that played a big role in her sometimes being insensitive to her children emotional needs? I think those questions can give me a broader perspective of my topic and make it more interesting to write about.
Reply #112 Top
My reasearch question is:How did Marie's childhood contribute to her sense of identity?
Reply #114 Top
Re: Does the Baruch Library have Marie Curie's Biography?
Yes, but they were checkout by other students.
Brooklyn College Library should copies.
Look in their catalog. You can be access it from Baruch's library.
Reply #115 Top
What happens when all your sources contain the same answer to your research question?